Owning My Anxiety

I am very open about the fact that I deal with anxiety (& depression which is brought on by my anxiety), for me it is better to talk about it then hide it or keep it a secret.

I go though cycles with my anxiety, for the most part I know how to control it and keep it at bay. However, every so often I have a bout that gets the best of me! When this happens it takes some time for me to get it back under control but I always seem to. It just so happened that this spring I had one of those bouts. If you have been reading my blog for a while you probably recall that talked about it, if you are new to the blog you can read about it here.

I can happily say that I am finally owning my anxiety!!! And I can honestly say I am owning it two ways (per dictionary.com):

verb (used with object)

1) to acknowledge or admit. Example: I own that I have anxiety and it has impacts on my day to day life and no mater how much I try to pretend it doesn’t, it does!

2) to totally defeat, gain control over, or dominate. Example: I have owned my anxiety! I have limited the impact it has on my day to day life!

It has been so nice to have it back under control! It has taken a lot to get there this time, I had to go back to counseling. I have been to counseling once before for my anxiety and it was extremely helpful! Which is why I started going again at the end of May and it has been a huge help. For me, it is nice to have someone who I can talk to about how I am feeling and not have them tell me – it will get better soon, I am over reacting, just relax.

The first time I went to counseling I learned a lot of great ways to keep my anxiety under control. However, this time no matter how much I tried these things didn’t work. But typically they do, so I thought I would share what works for me:

Get enough sleep – for me this is probably the most important one there is. If I don’t get enough sleep it is almost a guarantee my anxiety will be worse than normal.

Exercise daily – this has been a major reason I have been able to keep my anxiety under control. I call it my outlet!

Accept that you cannot control everything – As much as I wish I could, I can’t! I often catch myself trying to figure out how to control everything, when this happen I make myself take a step back and evaluate the situation. Then a I create a game plan around what I can and can’t control.

Do your best – You can’t be perfect so just try for you best. This is always very hard for me, I am a perfectionist and I have a hard time controlling it. However, I know that I am a perfectionist so it helps because I can catch myself in the act and try to stop myself before I get too far!

Humor – Welcome it! If you can laugh about it, it makes it so much easier!!!!!!!

Maintain a positive attitude – This can be hard but it will make a difference if you can stay positive!

Learn what triggers your anxiety – The first time I went to counseling I learned what my triggers are and I try to limit them or go into the situation acknowledging that it is a trigger and I need to stay aware.

Talk to someone – This is a must for me or my anxiety is much worse. Talking to someone doesn’t mean therapy (but it can and there is nothing wrong with that!), it can me talking to a partner, a friend, a parent, etc.

I don’t let my anxiety define me and I try really hard to not let it control me! Having anxiety is just part of who I am and it makes me, me!

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Comments

I LOVE this post! I also suffer from tons of anxiety and it’s a daily struggle to control it. I believe that running and yoga have both been super helpful, but it’s still hard sometimes. You’re definitely not alone! It’s awesome you’ve been able to own it. Keep on being awesome!

Hello! My name is Missy, and I am the blogger behind Getting Fit to Find Myself. I live in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) with my fiancé, Justin, and my dog, Baylee. This blog came out of a want, I wanted a place to talk about how my fitness and weight loss journeys have helped shape who I am today. Read More…